Heat some oil up p. damn hot. Throw in cumin seeds, stir fry until they're brown and fragrant (like 30 seconds). Add garlic and chilis, stir fry for about a minute (do not let your face get anywhere near the pot or you will get fumigated). Add everything else, let cook on high for a couple minutes and then simmer for like an hour or something.

Boil beets unpeeled. When they're soft, yank off the skins and cut to your desired dimensions. Boil enough water and vinegar to cover the beets completely, add in sugar and make sure it's dissolved completely. Let steep for at least a couple hours. Voila, you have picked beets! Refrigerate in a glass container.

basically, if the salad is composed of any sort of interesting greens (IOW, not iceberg lettuce or romaine), it needs a sweet component to balance out the light bitterness of the greens, and fruit works really well for that in addition to providing some color and texture.

For one, I like the taste of interesting greens and don't think they need balancing out. For two, I prefer non-sweet fruits like tomatoes or bell peppers or avocado to add interest. *shrug*

fair enough, except that:

1) all three fruits you mentioned are still sweet

and

2) unless you eat your salad without any dressing, you're still balancing out the bitter flavor of the greens one way or another. The human palate, varied as it may be among people, still tends to adhere to some very basic rules. Pairing a sweet flavor and/or a briny flavor with a bitter flavor is one of those rules.

There's sweet and then there's sweet. And I'm a total freak and don't really like dressing. And nooooooo cheese! Basically I like eating like a rabbit :\

basically, if the salad is composed of any sort of interesting greens (IOW, not iceberg lettuce or romaine), it needs a sweet component to balance out the light bitterness of the greens, and fruit works really well for that in addition to providing some color and texture.

For one, I like the taste of interesting greens and don't think they need balancing out. For two, I prefer non-sweet fruits like tomatoes or bell peppers or avocado to add interest. *shrug*

One of the things I've learned from this place is that people will never change. Roger will always be paranoid, Nigel will always pick fights, and I will always speak up when people are being irrational because it disgusts me on some deep fundamental level. I even didn't stop to think about it, just as I'm sure Roger didn't. Next time perhaps I will remember to crush the urge, but who knows? And there will be a next time. There always is.

You hypocritical piece of filth.

After Hugh, you're the biggest shit-stirrer in this board's history. Your outrage at other peoples' irrationality is fucking hilarious.

You should maybe experiment with drinking lye.

That's wasn't meant to be an insult, and you're doing an awesome job of distorting my point.

Whatever, this is only getting my feelings hurt and making me wonder how horrible I am if everyone here hates me.

One of the things I've learned from this place is that people will never change. Roger will always be paranoid, Nigel will always pick fights, and I will always speak up when people are being irrational because it disgusts me on some deep fundamental level. I even didn't stop to think about it, just as I'm sure Roger didn't. Next time perhaps I will remember to crush the urge, but who knows? And there will be a next time. There always is.